Plasmolysis
by Vampcoffee
Summary: While the main fleets make a desperate offensive against the Reapers, four man teams travel the universe, maintaining key positions and holding the line.
1. Firebase London

An Alliance capital starship loomed over Earth, at least what remained. Spots of yellow-orange burned on the planet's surface: fires still raging long after the Reapers' first assault. Once in position, drifting lowly over Europe, a drop craft dismounted from the lower hangar bay. The blue and white UT-47A Kodiak shuttle descended from the starship down to the surface. On board the shuttle was a hardened group of highly trained Alliance soldiers.

A turian sentinel, krogan soldier, human vanguard, and asari adept all waited in the hold, preparing for their mission. The Kodiak traveled through thick cloud cover down to a wrecked firebase in central London. The base was deserted with crumbling buildings and rubble strewn about the street. Ragnar, the greyish, thick-skinned, Turian inserted a thermal clip into his M-96 Mattock before opening the shuttle door once the craft found a steady hover.

He stood and scanned the area before stepping off onto blackened pavement, seeing nothing but piles of wreckage and pillars of smoke in the gloomy, nighttime sky. M-080 infantry fighting vehicles rested in the centermost area of the destroyed cityscape, surrounded by a handful of dead Spectres and a horde of Reaper carcasses. Seconds after deplaning, Ragnar heard a message coming over his radio.

"A strategically significant area has been compromised. Get down there and engage the enemy."

"Easy for him to say," Ragnar commented, his eyes lingering on the dead N7 troops.

The hulking, krogan squad member was next off of the shuttle. "Some people fight, some people talk," Kradoran growled, his meaty neck flexing as he spoke. "All roles are important, Ragnar."

"Chill, Krad." Sidric, the human, jumped from the shuttle and clapped a hand on the krogan's shoulder. "You're serious like all the time." Kradoran grumbled and pushed the vanguard, causing him to stumble backward into Saedra.

The asari pushed Sidric away from her as well and sneered. "Better to be serious sometimes than well… never."

"Just make sure to stun the enemies, okay babe?" The vanguard swaggered toward the blue-skinned woman, young and brash and poised to do something daring until Ragnar stepped closer. Ragnar gave Sidric a look and the turian's imposing body language caused the human to rethink his actions.

"Let's get into position," Saedra attempted reminding her teammates of the priority but Ragnar and Sidric continued squaring off with each other.

"Move out!" Kradoran roared and shoved between the two.

The squad moved forward down the road before making a left at the intersection and going up a large incline. The stairway led to a bridge with an ammo dump toward the back and a vantage over the streets for a good view to the area. Ragnar walked to a break in the bridge's side where the view was best, holding his weapon in anticipation while Sidric laid his Scimitar shotgun down and took off his helmet.

"People say Reapers are galaxy's greatest threat," Kradoran spoke beside Ragnar, their armors glinting in the pale light of the moon.

"They are powerful." Ragnar was calm, steady in waiting. "There is no denying that."

Kradoran gave a burst of growling laughter. "They know how to kill, but do they know how to survive?"

Ragnar turned to his krogan ally but before he could say more, a dreadful drone filled the air. Squid-like ships fell from the sky with deep purple hulls glimmering from within the fog.

Saedra walked over to the two. "Let's find out." She smiled up at Ragnar.

The anonymous announcer returned over the radio. "Enemy inbound. Be ready."

Ragnar looked at Saedra coldly, appearing to feel nothing at all. He looked away from the asari, out into the destroyed distance. He stared down the sight of his assault rifle and waited. The ghostly wail of husks played on the edge of his hearing and the turian tensed until the first frail, skeletal synthetic crept from behind a broken pillar. One shot took its head off and it fell uselessly to the ground, a dozen more crawling over the body.

"Contact!" Ragnar shouted before rapidly pulling the trigger, white-hot shots streaking through poor light.

The squad responded in force, Kradoran and Sidric joined Ragnar on either side to shoot the enemy while Saera launched biotic powers and took shots during cooldown. The husks were slaughtered from the high-rise bridge and their bodies piled on the streets. Some broke from the group, climbing on cars and rubble, sickly grayed skin glowing from the streetlights. Rangar targeted the runners, none of which made even half way to their position on the bridge before being shot down. He quickly angled on another husk but before he could fire, a blue flash struck the enemy, killing it and sending it flying into a wall.

Ragnar glared at Saedra as she lowered her hand, still alight with bluish energy. "Is there a problem, Ragnar?"

"Keep to your own targets."

"Hey, it doesn't matter who gets the kill." Sidric smirked, reloading his gun. He looked up at the turian. "It's not about points, guys."

"You're right." Saedra put a hand on her hip, her black and grey bodysuit nearly becoming a silhouette in the dark. "Yet if it were, you would win every time."

Sidric only smiled wider. "I know."

"That was only the first wave." Ragnar reloaded his gun as well. "Stay focused."

Kradoran growled and the squad had nothing to do but wait for the next enemies to approach. More husks came from the same place as they had before and were cut down just as quickly until different enemy types began to join them. Cannibals lurched through the darkening city block, slower than husks but more durable, with fleshy lumps growing on their backs and the ability to fire back. This new enemy lacked precision however and Ragnar and Kradoran downed the majority of the freakish, mutated group. When a few stray bolts of red energy managed to strike the bridge, Ragnar and Saedra had sense enough to take cover while the others did not; Kradoran for his pride, Sidric for his arrogance. The krogan finished the last cannibal before yet another enemy appeared. Now the streets crawled with husks, cannibals and marauders, former turians twisted by Reaper technology.

Sidric stood and pushed to the break in the bridge's wall and waved nonchalantly. "Cover me," he said sarcastically, grinning while he turned to look down from the bridge at the enemy. He spread his arms wide, lowered on his back foot, and then charged. The vanguard vanished into a storm of blue light and zipped forward as a ball of energy, wisps of power trailing in his wake as he rocketed toward the enemy.

One second later, another burst could be seen on the other side of the map as Sidric collided with an enemy and returned to his physical form, everything around him reeling from the explosion. Now, he was the primary target of the enemies and they all rushed for him while the squad supported with fire from the bridge. Ragnar and Kradoran killed the enemies around Sidric. Sidric leaped into the air and then struck the ground with his fist, launching a shockwave that wiped out all the husks and cannibals.

Unfortunately for Sidric, the Nova attack drained his barrier and with the few Marauders that survived, being down to his health was not a good situation. Saedra put out her hand and a stasis bubble formed around the remaining enemies. With the Marauders frozen in place, she easily killed them with headshots.

"I wish he wouldn't do that," Ragnar sighed.

"He's the distraction." Saedra shrugged. "Better him than us."

"He's reckless."

"All options are viable in war." Kradoran voiced his opinion, his deep, monstrous voice, rumbling outward. "All talents should be put to use."

Sidric stayed down on the street and waited for the next wave of enemies, no use in going back to the squad. Once a vanguard charges, they go into a frenzy, looking for the next enemy to throw themselves at. A sentinel or soldier on the other hand is versatile, capable of both close combat and range. Adepts were better at a distance; their powers were devastating but they were not the most durable.

The Reaper forces advanced from multiple corners of the map in greater numbers than before. Husks wailed and marauders muttered garbled tones and gunfire cracked loudly, yet over it all a coarse growling could be heard from the broken roadway to the dilapidated bridge.

"High-value enemies have entered the area and are now your top priority. Take them out."

Sidric, being in the middle of the action, was the first to spot the "high value enemy" and promptly called it out to his teammates.

"Brute!" the vanguard screamed at the top of his lungs.

"In any other case, I would disagree." Ragnar raised his weapon and scanned for the Brute, skipping the lesser enemies until finding the priority target. "There, right side, by the landing." The beast was as large as five krogan combined, a gritty brownish black, scaled and spiked all over with clawed arms so large it leaned forward like an ape. It lumbered through the battlefield slowly, stalking while other units ran passed it on either side.

Saedra waved her hand and Warped the Brute, weakening it with her biotic power and making it more vulnerable to attack while Kradoran hurled incendiary grenades which burned the Brute's armor. Ragnar picked off the weaker units as they ran and watched Sidric fire his shotgun. The human vanguard backpedaled, firing at the husks and cannibals that rushed him while taking fire from the marauders who stayed back. The Brute crawled forward steadily, crushing fellow Reapers under its weight, mindlessly advancing on its prey.

Ragnar supported Sidric the best he could and swore when Sidric lost his shields. He knew what would come next. In desperation, Sidric charged the Brute, which was never a good idea. The human became a streak of blue energy and slammed into the hulking enemy. The Charge combined with the Saedra's warp field to cause a biotic explosion. A massive burst of blue tore everything around the Brute and Sidric immediately dodged backward once regaining physical form, standing slowly to see the Brute, and several enemies around it, falling down dead.

"Sidric, behind you!" Saedra screamed and Sidric turned just in time to see another Brute which charged fiercely. The vanguard was thrown backward, his shields failing in a flash of violet and his weapon flying from his hand to clatter on the ground.

_He's in trouble. _Ragnar's mandibles tensed and he fired an Overload into the group of enemies around the vanguard. The electrical surge struck from one hostile to another, stunning them and giving Sidric a bit of breathing room. Kradoran fired a seeking rocket from the underside of his gun, causing massive carnage among the enemies.

Sidric charged in a rush of blue and collided with the Brute, his power combining with the burning effect of Krad's rocket to create another explosion. Everything died around Sidric but then the Brute's ghastly, gnarled spikes cut his armor as it fell. The vanguards shield fizzled yet again and Ragnar watched as an insect-like Ravager sniped Sidric from across the street.

"Teammate has gone dark," the radio announced just after Sidric clutched his chest and fell backward amidst the wreckage and bodies. The sky darkened as the Reapers changed their focus, searching for the rest of the squad. Ravagers had the most range of any other unit, their thin blue targeting lasers eventually training on the bridge where Ragnar and the others were positioned.

"Get down!" Kradoran bellowed from his thick neck and wide mouth. Ragnar felt the krogan's voice in his chest more than his ears and did his best to get behind cover, just as an explosion shook the bridge. Fiery red was all he could see and the heat of the blast singed the spines on his head. On all fours he looked back to see Saedra vault over a block of concrete before another explosion tore their surroundings.

The air burned around Ragnar and he hunkered down the best a large, bulky turian could. Saedra would be fine, she was an asari, agile and flexible. He worried for the krogan however, being even more huge and beastly than himself. The third blast came and beneath the gush of flame Rangar heard a guttural roar. When the heat died down, Ragnar hurried to get up and recover his weapon while scanning his krogan ally, a little bloody and burned but obviously no real harm done.

"Status," the turian growled while advancing on a group of enemies who were flanking from the stairs. They reached the end of the bridge and attacked, marauders firing from a distance while the husks ran forward recklessly.

"I'll make it," Saedra chimed while summoning another stasis field to snare the enemies.

Kradoran brushed rubble from his shoulder then raised his rifle with one hand and blew away several enemies in succession. "Never been better," he roared while marching ahead of Ragnar. The turian sidestepped to get a better angle but before he fired again Kradoran had beaten everything to death with his weapon.

"Good," Ragnar droned while reloading. "Let's pick up the vanguard."


	2. Firebase London p2

Kradoran charged down from the bridge laying waste to everything in his path. Saedra and Ragnar followed the krogan bulldozer and provided covering fire, killing whatever Kradoran didn't punch or headbutt to death.

"MRAHAHRRR!" the krogan laughed maniacally, breaking into a rage after physically destroying so many enemies in rapid succession. In this state, Kradoran became even more of a tank, becoming stronger and more durable for a moment.

In that period of time, the squad fought their way to the center of the intersection. They walked around an M-80 and Saedra ran to Sidric while the soldier and sentinel kept the Reapers at bay.

"I got you," Saedra announced to the downed vanguard on the slim chance he would hear. She kneeled and activated her omni-tool, an orange, holographic gauntlet forming around her hand and forearm. With it, she transmitted medi-gel to Sidric's wounds, a process that only took a second or two but felt like so much longer in the heat of battle.

"Hurry it up, Saedra." Ragnar called to the adept while aiming around an abandoned tank, firing the Mattock as quickly as possible. "It's getting hot down here."

Kradoran faced the other direction, covering Saedra's flank and holding himself back from charging into melee range. The adept looked up and glanced around while keeping her omni-tool pressed to Sidric's chest. Finally, the vanguard stirred, brought back from the brink of death.

"Thank you," Sidric spoke while getting to his feet and recovering his weapon, sincerity overtaking his typical cockiness. Saedra stood also and used her powers to clear out a few husks that were getting too close.

"We're running out of time. Get to the next target."

Rangar looked behind him to make sure Sidric was up then left his cover to make for the bridge once again. "Come on!" he called to his squad mates while running through the intersection, ducking a few stray bolts that streaked his way.

With a quick glance he found the main enemy force had taken their previous position on the bridge. There were cannibals, marauders, even ravagers, one of which was the next target. At the sight of this large group Ragnar switched out his rifle for his missile launcher. The Mattock folded in on itself on his back while the Cobra unfurled, transforming and locking into its firing state. He took a split second to line his shot before firing.

The rest of the squad joined him on the bridge just in time to see a shocking flash of light, followed by the synchronized cries of multiple dying Reapers. Swarmers emerged from the pile of bodies, crawling like roaches toward the squad while the announcer returned over the radio.

"Just one target left. Keep it up."

Sidric used his Nova attack to completely annihilate the swarmers all at once.

"That's a little overkill, don't you think?" Saedra commented.

Sidric shrugged. "Go big or go h-" The shrill cry of a shrieking killer pierced the air.

Kradoran growled and gripped his weapon tighter as a freakishly proportioned Ardat-Yakshi stepped over the pile of carcasses Ragnar had just blown up. It walked forward slowly, stalking and haunting, eight feet tall and horribly disfigured.

"Banshee!" Kradoran bellowed just as the boss enemy flung it's arms, a rippling black aura shooting out in all directions.

The squad was leveled. Ragnar flew over the bridge's edge, losing his launcher and nearly falling to his death were it not for Kradoran catching him. Thrown by the shockwave, Sidric tumbled backward and Saedra slammed into a pillar.

The krogan pulled the turian back onto the bridge, Sidric helped Saedra up and they all focused fire on the Banshee. Grenades, gunfire, biotics, tech powers, everything was launched at the enemy until it's barrier finally failed at which point she staggered.

Angered and stripped of her shields, the Banshee screamed yet again before blurring into a purplish wave of energy, instantly jumping through several feet of space.

"Get back!" Ragnar shouted while reaching back for his rifle. He backpedeled and the Mattock unfolded his hands, Kradoran and Saedra retreating from the Banshee on either side of him. Sidric stayed forward, keeping the Banshee's focus but not daring to charge her. She blinked forward again in a rush of biotic power and the vanguard rolled backward to maintain a 'safe' distance. He was still too close.

The rest of the squad backed down the stairs, flushed from their position by the oppressive bitch of a Reaper. She performed yet another leap through space, further than expected, reappearing less than a foot from Sidric.

The Banshee raised her arm, arcs of energy storming around her hands as she lifted the vanguard off his feet with an invisible force. Sidric squirmed uselessly, firmly in the Banshee's grasp without her ever laying a hand on him.

"Oh my goddess," Saedra exclaimed, her pistol trembling in her hands, undone by the gruesome sight of what had once been an asari like herself. Ragnar grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her further from the bridge. He glared at her, his face saying more than he had time to say with words.

Kradoran roared and ran toward the Banshee as she raised her other hand, preparing to kill her captured victim. With a powerful headbutt, the krogan struck the Banshee, causing her to stagger and drop Sidric from her grasp. Sidric and Ragnar passed each other on the stairs, Sidric running away from the Reaper, Ragnar running toward.

Kradoran and Ragnar joined forces, firing on the Banshee, striking her, using every ability they had, and taking her to the brink of death. She cried out, as she flung her arms again, a killer shockwave accompanying her chilling wail that echoed across the gloomy London streets. The turian and krogan were both flung backward, tumbling down the stairs, bloody and broken.

"Squadmates offline."

The Banshee struggled to stand, torn, shot to hell but still moving. She limped forward over Ragnar and Kradoran. Sidric crawled backward on the sidewalk. Saedra gathered her nerve as the Reaper advanced and tried to fire a steady shot.

She missed. The Banshee blinked forward again and smacked Saedra before she could reload. The asari fell to the hard pavement and stared up at the Reaper while her teammates bled around her. Saedra's brow tightened and she clenched her fist just as the Banshee did the same, hands glowing with biotic power.

Saedra launched her Warp just before the Banshee fired hers. A blinding flash of dark blue struck and Saedra rolled on her side as the Banshee fell to her knees, defeated.

"That's all of them. Good work, team."

Saedra got to her feet and ran to kneel over Ragnar,forming her omni-tool again to give the turian medical assistance while Sidric crawled to do the same for Kradoran.

"Stay alert. Enemy is regrouping."

Ragnar opened his eyes to see Saedra kneeling over him, bloody and worried. Sidric and Kradoran were on their feet moments later.

"You heard the radio." Kradoran growled, jolting the connection between the asari and turian. Ragnar groaned, sitting up through the pain, Saedra stepping back out of his way.

"He's right." The turian got to his feet then picked up his weapon. "It's not over."

"Back to the bridge, then?" Saedra asked.

"No, we've already lost it once," the krogan spoke up.

"Well we can't stay here, either." Ragnar analyzed the current location. "It's open. We'll get surrounded."

Wails and growling started up again in the far corners of the city block. Another wave of Reapers had arrived and were already on the move.

"Where ever we go, we need to stay together." Saedra spoke and touched Ragnar's face. He frowned and stepped away.

"A pack is stronger than a loner." Kradoran roared and raised his weapon. "Crush them."

The krogan marched toward a pair of husks and ripped them in half with his hands. Husks usually preceded the more dangerous enemies, they were the pawns of the Reaper force. The team followed in that direction, toward the east where a street ended in rubble and a shop rested on either side. The shops were empty, shattered windows, shelves trashed, everything looted. There was nothing left in this city but synthetic hostiles that advanced through the wreckage. A burst of white screamed toward the team and they scrambled.

"Cannibal!" Saedra announced while ducking behind a block of concrete.

"Marauder!" Sidric called out before launching a forceful shockwave.

"Everything!" Kradoran bellowed. He walked into the gunfire and chucked a grenade at the spawn. What didn't die in the hellish blast was set on fire. Saedra launched a Warp and Sidric charged in a rush of blue to cause a massive detonation of dark energy.

"Behind us!" Ragnar shouted to his team while gunning down a cluster of enemies. Husks and Cannibals piled between two abandonded tanks, dead and mangled with more crawling over the bodies. The squad joined him in taking advantage of the chokepoint and corpses gathered by the dozen under their combined fire.

"Reaper indoctrination devices have been located in the area. Find them and deactivate."

"Who's getting the devices?" Kradoran asked while blasting a Maruader in the face, obviously not volunteering himself.

Ragnar backpedaled as a Brute reached the chokepoint, its heavy footsteps shocking the ground. "Make a decision." He ordered as the Brute shoved a tank out of its way, sending it sliding into a pillar. Crumbling cement showered on their right.

"You're faster." Sidric commented while firing his shotgun at the Brute.

"You can charge." Saedra returned before throwing a biotic attack that flattened an approaching Cannibal.

A marker appeared alerting the team to the first device and the Brute prepared to rush them. Ragnar ducked to one side and Saedra followed him, vaulting over wrecked jet car to avoid the swipe of the beast's massive arms. Thunderous crushing tore the space they occupied just seconds before.

Ragnar looked to his right and was glad to see Saedra ducking beind wreckage, safe. He stood and called out.

"Kradoran!" he shouted through the cloud of dust and rubble around the Brute.

"I am alive and so is the human," Kradoran could be heard even over the Brute's roar as it turned for Ragnar and Saedra.

The turian moved backwards, firing and shouting to his squatmates on the other side of the Brute. "We're going to the device." He motioned with his head and a look told Saedra to follow. "Get to the bridge!"

The team divided into pairs. Ragnar kited the Brute, taking cover, firing until it got close, and then taking different cover, giving ground all the while. He could hear the Brute's grisly breathing as it stalked him. Blood leaked between the plates of his armor and he wiped sweat from his brow while looking backward to see Saedra run to the device.

He was alone. The Brute came around the corner of an M-080 and charged. Ragnar was crushed, taking the Brute head on. It shattered his shields all at once while flinging him to the ground. All he could see was the Brute and the gloomy sky, swirling above him, awaiting his demise.


End file.
